Settler’s Mill Adventure Golf – Beach Heaven LBI, NJ

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Played on August 19, 2021

Reviewed by Mr. Tee

Near the south end of Long Beach Island lies Settler’s Mill Adventure Golf. It’s right next to Fantasy Island Amusement Park, a place that the Pink Putter visited many times as a kid, and connected to the Thundering Surf Waterpark. We had spent the earlier part of the day playing rounds with our fellow Holey Moley alum and LBI resident, Biggy. David Biggy does a recurring column called “Can You Beat Biggy?” for the LBI local newspaper, The Sandpaper The Pink Putter needed more beach time but I was determined to get to all of the Long Beach Island courses on our weeklong visit with family. I rang up Biggy and he met up with me to take on one of the few courses I had not played on LBI.

Rating

Settler’s Mill is self-described on the website as “Two uniquely and equally challenging adventure golf courses nestled in mature landscaping, complete with caves, waterfalls, and antique obstacles”. It’s in a prime location on this family-friendly section of the Jersey Shore. From the main road, the course looked a bit beat up and sub-par compared to the many amazing options along the island. Once you get up and into the courses, they are a bit more impressive. While the overall hole designs are familiar due to the construction being done by Harris Golf, the ambiance gave the whole place a distinct personality. I had low expectations from what I had seen from afar, but inside it was an above-par course. The only major negatives are the poor playing metal-rimmed cups and the varying quality of the turf. Some holes played quite well and others could use a little TLC to help the course from being more frustrating than fun. These imperfections mostly stand out due to the fact that this 18-mile island has over 10 full 18-hole courses with a consistent level of quality. Settler’s Mill is solid and worth checking out if you’re in the area, especially if you’re with fun-loving company.

Waterpark and mini golf all in one
Ferris Wheel and theme parks in the backdrop of a well well-designed course.
Hole #5 sign
Biggy has a tombstone blocking his view of the hole
Biggy turned it around and knocked in an ace!
Antique water well pumps block the path to the cup
Big sky and ant hill
Biggy putts towards the pipes while I check out the Kohr Bros soft serve from afar
Big fan of rope bridges on mini golf courses
Biggy takes aim to get the ball between the “ruins”
Waterfalls and tough downhill putts
Final hole round one with the waterpark tempting us on a hot day
Lots of signs to read before we start up round 2
Two openings between the three rocks to the lower part of the green
Two very different grades of turf. The turf to the left was quite worn.
Turf on this hole was also a bit more worn down than others
Up hills and humps
Biggy sizing up the options to the cup
Anthill and big anchor before we head into the cave
Biggy attempting to head around the gate while being distracted by the nearby waterpark
Sweaty and almost to the end of our 2nd round
Final hole. Came in tied and ended up tied!

Settler’s Mill Mini Golf Website

300 Taylor Ave, Beach Haven, NJ 08008

Pros

Rope bridges and cave added to the exploration theme
Nice use of antique obstacles to spice up the course
Excellent landscaping including waterfalls and greenery

Cons

Turf condition and quality varied wildly
Scorecard design makes it hard to use for scoring
Metal rimmed cups

Nerdy Notes

  • Two 18-hole courses. Each course has a Par of 36
  • 18 Holes: Adult $13.00 Children $10.00. 36 Holes: Adult $19.00 Children $16.00
  • Hours are weather dependent and subject to change. Seasonal hours so check their website
  • Max group size of 4. Rest of the course rules
  • Designed and built by the Harris Miniature Golf Company of New Jersey
  • Waterpark opened in 1977 and they claim they are “the longest, continuously operating waterpark in the World!”

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